From left for upper picture; Dr. Abiola, Hon. Hakeem Dauda, representative of Commissioner for Youths and Social Development and Princess Olufemi Kayode at the event.
The lower picture has Dr. Abiola with some of the guests.
A clarion call has gone to Governor Babajide Sanwoolu to allow women and girls to be able to access quality care by going ahead with the implementation of the STOP GUIDELINES put together by the state government but later suspended.
This appeal was made at a memorial and advocacy dialogue event organised by Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, WARDC, to honour and remember lives lost to unsafe maternal health practices. This took place at the Marriott Hotel, Ikeja, on Monday.
The task for all of us now is how to prevent maternal deaths from unsafe maternal health practices like taking drugs to terminate pregnancies, patronizing quacks, not speaking out on time, not having qualified health professionals to confide in among others.
It was indeed a very emotional and sad moment listening to affected families of some of those who have lost their lives to unsafe abortions, narrating the very traumatic experiences. Only few were lucky to be alive with attendant consequences.
WARDC therefore urged the Lagos State government to reinstate the suspended safe termination of pregnancy guidelines, otherwise called the SYOP GUIDELINES, in order to curb preventable maternal deaths.
Speaking at the event, WARDC’s Founder, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi urged the Lagos State government to reinstate the suspended safe termination of pregnancy guidelines in order to curb preventable maternal deaths.
“We really appreciate families who decided to speak out. We need tolet governments and other stakeholders know that we are losing precious lives on daily basis. The statistics is alarming, a lot of our girls and women are dying due to hemorrhage, infections, unsafe abortions among other factors.
“There are scars, memories of gang-raping even by close family members,. There are Psychological, emotional and social issues, stigma etc. We need a very supportive system as obtained in other countries where people can freely access quality care without stigma and discrimination. Our women and girls should be able to take informed decisions with needed supports in place. We need to stop the blame game.” She concluded by giving her personal experience when she went abroad for further studies showing the working system helped her to take informed decision.
Dr. Akiyode-Afolabi stated further that the meeting was put together in honour and remembrance of women and girls who died from unsafe abortions, deaths she described as preventable.
She restated the need for policy action, improved healthcare access and stronger support systems for women and girls.
According to her, Lagos as one of Nigeria’s most populous and progressive states, had previously developed the guideline to address rising maternal mortality but later suspended it while some states are now developing and implementing same policy documents.
“Lagos state took a bold step by adopting and domesticating national guidelines, recognising the scale of the problem within its large population,” she said.
“The guideline is developed by health professionals to provide clear direction on managing cases requiring safe termination of pregnancy, particularly where the life of the mother is at risk.
“Today, that guideline has been suspended, and we cannot continue to lose our girls and women to preventable deaths,” she said.
“The absence of clear frameworks often pushed women to unqualified providers such as quack doctors and dangerous methods. There’s the need for accessible counselling services, public awareness and community engagement to ensure women received timely, professional care.”
She also reiterated the fact that beyond legal and policy reforms, a supportive system is required to help women make informed decisions without fear or stigma.
According to her, urgent steps must be taken to strengthen healthcare delivery and prevent further loss of lives.
In his goodwill message, the Chairman of Ikeja Local Government, Comrade Hakeem Olalekan Dauda commended WARDC for the work being done while pushing for greater level of advocacy and awareness creation. We must build a community of advocates. Hospitals must treat first and not reject any patients in emergency conditions
He promised to partner with WARDC in awareness creation and advocacy .
Also in attendance were representatives from the Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria, SOGON, Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, the media community, religious leaders, Commissioner for Youths and Social Development, who all agreed that the lives of our girls and women matter and there is need to make quality healthcare affordable and accessible to all irrespective of status, age or gender.
In her welcome address, the acting Executive Director of WARDC, Princess Olufemi Kayode, said the gathering was an opportunity to spotlight lives lost while pushing for stronger action. “The event is an opportunity to focus on the lives that have been denied a future and to amplify the call for stronger policies to prevent maternal deaths. This is more than a gathering, but a moment of reflection and renewed commitment.”
She called on all stakeholders to confront critical questions surrounding maternal mortality, including gaps in access to quality healthcare, information and timely medical intervention.
According to her, maternal mortality has far-reaching consequences beyond health, affecting families, communities and national development.
She identified unsafe practices, poor access to reproductive health information, stigma, poverty and systemic barriers as factors responsible for the dire situation we found ourselves, saying things cannot continue this way. “We must put an end to this loss of precious lives.” She concluded.